Monday, November 5, 2012

1862 October 6 Lynchburg, Va.

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, bank officer and former diplomat with five sons in the Confederate Army]

Thursday 6 Contrary to expectation, the
rain ceased during the night, &
the morning proved cold--Thanks
giving day--church opened but
I was not able to attend - Mary
did and then went to the D[?]'s
where we dined.--This is my dear
Lucy Landons birthday. Had
she lived she would 31 years old
Young Barnaby came to spend the
evening with Lanty--Dropped in
about 4 at the annual meeting
of the O. & A. Rail Road. Fine
looking body of men. Much debate
upon [tunnel?] points and the
scene altogether quite Virginian
and characteristic.

About Me

The Special Collections Dept. of the University of Virginia Library holds over 25 Civil War diaries and thousands of letters of both Union and Confederate soldiers. Noted holdings include letters of Robert E. Lee, papers of "Gray Ghost" John S. Mosby and Confederate Generals Thomas L. Rosser, Elisha F. "Bull" Paxton, and Philip St. George Cocke, and William S. Hillyer of Ulysses Grant's staff.